It's Like Breathing
by NowAndForever1
Summary: They're both powerful, both beautiful, and both fall hard, fast, and desperately for each other. In a world filled with full moons, fur and danger, they always seem to know how to find their way back to each other. They are mates: born to be together, born to fight together, and born to die together. - REWROTE PROLOGUE.
1. You're My National Anthem

**I rewrote the prologue, simply because I wasn't feeling the other one and felt this one flowed better. At least now I'm satisfied (for the time being that is...ghehe)**

**Discl: I don't own the characters. Juuust borrow and play ;)**

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The place was booming, the ground under her shoes vibrating with the contemporary music making the speakers shake violently. Sweat slicked bodies grinded against each other with no space between them, and alcohol was flowing freely, people indulging in it like it was water.

Expensive and fast cars and bikes were strewn over the open industrial field, people making out of the hood of cars, or making deals and bets regarding the regular street races going on during the crazy night.

Elena smiled, despite the smell of smoke and booze surrounding her senses, scantily clad women and tough looking men in leather jackets and army boots. She didn't mind, because this was her scene, this was something she was used to, had grown to love and appreciate. She dressed the part, too, in her polka dotted corset top, blood red leather jacket, ripped jeans and her black suede wedge boots. Her silky brown hair was a tousled yet controlled collection of waves framing her heart-shaped face.

A lips stretched in a smile when she stepped out of her silver Aston Martin one-77, and people automatically turned their heads in curiosity. The whispers started right on cue.

_She's back. Well, no wonder the Alpha was so grumpy lately..._

_Where was she all this time?_

_Wauw! Nice car!_

It was funny to consider how easily she had been accepted, how easily they had considered her as one of them, and it had nothing to do with the fast friends she had made, or the fact that she was the she-Alpha, for lack of a better term. They hadn't resented her for getting together with the pack's Alpha. They all understood the mating system and how inevitable it was. You were chosen to be with someone and it would be fairly useless to resent her for something she didn't have any control over.

However, instead of malicious stares and jealous glares, she received their acknowledgements of her existence with a smile as they grinned and smiled back at her. People clapped her on the back, nodded at her and winked at her. She had been part of this from the start, and she was finally starting to feel it, too.

She weaved her way through the throngs of people until she left the open industrial field behind to find herself inside of somewhere that must have been a garage, where a pair of all too familiar blue eyes snapped towards her in shock for a moment before a flirty smirk took over. That smirk never ceased to warm her all over, those tingles in her belly and clammy palms reminiscent of a teenage school girl crushing on her hot new teacher.

She kept walking straight towards him, ignoring the other occupant as both men were leaning against their respective cars. Her steps were resolute, anybody who was watching knowing she had a target in mind.

Said target didn't have a single problem with that as his strong arms wrapped around her almost immediately, without saying a word. She reveled in the feel of his hard muscles under her palms and the softness of his lips, knowing how to take her breath away with every peck and passionate swipe of his tongue. Kissing him, being in his arms, looking at him, never got old. As their lips parted, they were still entwined intimately in a lover's embrace as they looked in each other's eyes. His warmth enveloped her in a security blanket that had her sighing in contentment. Even though it was far from the truth, but being in his arms, feeling so protected with his lips pressing against the crown on her head and his calloused hands slowly exploring her upper body, made her feel as if everything was right in the world, as if everything was back on its axis now her mate was back with her.

''Hi,'' she said softly as she looked up at him through her lashes.

''Hi, beautiful,'' he greeted her as he looked down at her with a tenderness he reserved for only her. Everyone got to see the tough alpha male side of him, the dominator and the ruler, but with her, he always was different. With her he wasn't afraid to show the sweet and affectionate side he hid beneath the surface. For her he had made a lot of exceptions, but if you trusted someone as inexplicably as Damon trusted his Elena, he would do it every time. He'd put his life in her hands without thinking twice about it.

He pecked her lips once, twice, three times more before they had to turn at the coughing presence in the room.

''He, Klaus,'' Elena said with an apologetic grin as she found the will to extract herself from her lover. They didn't stop touching, however. Damon refused to move his arm from around her shoulder, and Elena automatically snuggled into his side and put her fingers in the back pocket of his jeans just to have something to cling to.

Klaus winked at her, accepting her unspoken apology without any words.

''Where's Blondie?'' Damon asked as he looked down at his girl—which wasn't very smart, considering he couldn't look away anymore. As he studied the beauty that was completely and utterly his, he felt a pleasant stirring in his pants sensing its owner was back and _hell yes, _he couldn't even think of why he even bothered toask about the Barbie doll that was his best friend's old ball and chain.

Elena frowned, as if it hadn't dawned on her before. ''She came out of Carmen with me…''

_Okay that sentence sounds all kinds of wrong, _Elena thought wryly, fighting not to roll her eyes and get strange looks from the guys, whom surprisingly hadn't heard the innuendo behind it. _Well, that was certainly a first._

Klaus was about to open his mouth and ask something else, but was rudely interrupted by a fast succession of clicking of heels rushing their way.

Full of amusement, Elena and Damon looked on as the blonde flung herself in her boyfriend's arms and they shared a passionate kiss, his hands resting on her ass while her arms held his neck in a death grip.

Secretly glad for the interruption, the other couple let the blondes be, and turned to each other. They shared an intimate moment, just basking in each other's presence.

''I missed you, baby,'' Damon whispered in his girl's ears, resting his cheek against hers. He could not describe with words about how he felt having her back with him. Puzzle pieces fell back into place automatically, destroyed villages repaired itself on their own accord and all of their problems just magically disappeared. The softness of her skin under his, the deliciousness of her lips pressed against his and most of all, seeing all the beauty and love she directed at him swimming in her chocolate pools, he for once was thanking his DNA and the mating system. He didn't think he would ever find someone that could match up to Elena, not that he would ever want to, anyway.

''I missed you, too. I can only spend so much time with Caroline in the same house before I short-circuit. I swear to God, the nail-polish fumes have done some permanent damage on me,'' she pouted adorably, sticking out her lower lip while her already big eyes widened some more, making her look more innocent than Damon knew she was. He Oh yeah, he definitely did miss her.

''How did it go?'' he asked softly.

''Abso-fucking-lutely fan-fucking-tastic!'' Caroline yelled out enthusiastically.

Elena and Damon whipped their heads to the side to look at her, bewildered expressions on their faces. Klaus snickered at that, full well knowing how caught up in each other the Alpha and his mate could get when they got all lovey-dovey and started eye-fucking.

''Thanks for the elaborate description, Barbie,'' he snapped good-naturedly. He could argue with her all he wanted, but he cared about her. It may never be something that was going to be voiced, but they all knew it.

Elena grinned. ''We stayed at the hotel for a while, just spending days in the town and exploring, making sure we were seen and stuff. After we got the okay we got the hell out of their and picked out a bed and breakfast in a quaint little town in Washington State..''

''You were in Washington State?'' Damon nearly whimpered. He did not want to know she was _that _far away from him.

Elena giggled and tenderly kissed his jaw, to which he relaxed almost instantly and let out a content sigh. This is the life.

Caroline nodded enthusiastically. ''He followed us everywhere, as expected. The trackers Alaric made for us definitely came in handy…''

''…so know he definitely got the message,'' Elena finished for him.

Damon nodded, tightening his arms around his girl, coming in contact with the bare skin of her waist. Hmm, he couldn't wait to get her naked. ''Seems like we can start planning. How long do you think we have?''

''Couple of days, tops? We were followed to the airport by an SUV but because we went by jet he had no idea of where we could be going. But knowing him, he should have an idea and it wouldn't be long before he and his minions will get here,'' Elena described with a frown.

Damon kissed it away, hating seeing her so stressed over this. This whole situation had taken a toll on her, simultaneously affecting him, too.

''What do you think will happen once he gets here?'' Caroline asked.

Damon sighed as he thought about it. ''Probably trying to set up shop in Mystic Falls. We need to make sure that doesn't happen before we launch ourselves in a full-on war,'' Damon said darkly.

''And how do we do that?'' Elena wondered.

''Easy. We take them out one. By. One,'' Klaus supplied, equally as dark.

Elena didn't like the dark expression on the men's faces, but she understood why. John Gilbert had been set on ruining their lives from the get-go, trying to tare the pack apart piece by piece. Elena hadn't thought her uncle could be capable of such retribution, but the determination set in her boyfriend's jaw was copied onto her expression.

''We need to beat him at his own game,'' Damon stated resolutely.

Elena nodded. As much as she had been feeling guilty about everything that had been going on, and how bad she felt when she realized the sneaky freak-accidents that had been happening more and more all led to one thing, she knew one thing for sure: John Gilbert was going down.

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**Hoped you liked it!**

**xoxo, Layla**


	2. We Come Alive In The Nighttime

**The second chapter of It's Like Breathing, a little experiment of mine. Thank you for all the reviews and follows this story already has gotten, and I hope you guys enjoy this chap too!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the TV-show. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

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Once upon a time, she was the girl that had it all. Daughter of the pack's Alpha, whom also happened to be a rich human, she was the heiress to a fortune, she was treated like a princess, her looks making sure she had everything handed to her on a silver platter. She was her father´s pride and joy, always lighting up every wolf´s spirit when one was down, because she was Elena Gilbert, the beautiful girl with the eternal smile on her face.

That all came crushing down on her sixteenth birthday though, when she came back from a long ride on the back then new motorbike her father bought her. The mansion was on fire, sirens flooding her heightened senses, police cars and ambulances flooding the front of her house. People from around came watching from behind the caution tape, watching paramedics move around bodies of people who worked at the mansion.

Elena´s heart thundered in her chest as she moved her way through the throng of people, trying to find a familiar face. A police offer had brought her the news that changed her life forever: her parents and her little brother were dead, the smoke of the fire killing them on impact.

The first thing telling her something was wrong, was realizing that wasn't possible. Of course the police officer didn't know that, but as her instincts kicked in, she remembered her older brother telling her about a race party he was supposed to go to with the rest of the pack, so she turned into her wolf-form, her mocha brown fur whirling around her because of the speed she was running. But she knew it was futile.

Back then, she couldn't decide what was worse: finding out your parents are dead from a stranger, or actually seeing your entire pack mauled to death on the floor, stripped of their clothes, parts of their skin, and their dignity. She remembered collapsing, after that she had to let go of her rich existence. She lived off the land and people she crashed with here and there, and she toughened up a lot, letting go of the princess attitude, learning to fight for herself.

Living the nomadic existence that she did, she also made a lot of connections and friends. One of them, probably one of the friendships she cherished the most, was Caroline Forbes. A beautiful blonde with a bubble attitude. When Elena started brooding or sulking, Caroline was there to take her out, whether they would go to a club or hunt in their wolf-forms.

Yes, Caroline was a wolf. A pretty sandy-brown wolf, having been stood up by her family because she fell in love with a wolf. This wolf was a true bad boy, a racer, gambler and fighter, but Caroline and Klaus had fallen head over heels in love. Elena has been with the two of them, and she could say she really like Klaus. The man had wit and humor, and seemed to ground Caroline when her enthusiasm went through the roof. Elena and Klaus got along like a house on fire, already forming a brotherly bond, the kind she never had with her actual brother Jeremy.

Last night Elena had a nightmare about her past, the bodies of her family swirling around her head, like they did most nights, which ended up in her sulking with a bad movie and some ice cream. Caroline, in the mood for a girls night, forced her out of the door.

So that's how she ended up at a bar wearing a burgundy foam bra and a black oversized see-through blouse tucked into her leather pants, swinging her strappy heels clad feet back and forth on the bar stool she was sitting on, chatting with her friends. Caroline was wearing a blue bandage dress that was practically glued to her curvaceous body and heels with broad straps.

''I told you it was a good idea!'' Caroline yelled over the loud music.

Elena grinned at her, her eyes twinkling. Alright, maybe Caroline was right, but they both know those words weren't going to be uttered out loud. Elena just shrugged at her, making her blonde friend roll her eyes while sipping her drink.

After spending so much time on her own, just trusting her instincts, it was easy for Elena to smell that something was wrong. With her nose in the air, she got Caroline's attention, who recognized Elena's move as trying to find someone's scent.

''What are we sniffing for?'' Caroline asked with a straight face.

Elena chuckled while still looking around, her gaze shifting through the throng of bodies on the dance floor, broody drinkers at the bar, and up at the VIP section.

''Something smells fishy,'' Elena joked along with her poker-face, making Caroline giggled.

''No, seriously.''

''I am serious. The usual smell of a club, which one is the strongest?'' Elena asked her.

Caroline shrugged. ''Alcohol, cigarette smoke, sweat..''

''What do you smell that doesn't belong in that row?'' Elena asked her again in the same monotone voice.

Caroline's eyebrows shot up. ''Why the hell am I smelling ethanol?'' she asked in a high pitched voice, and Elena knew she wasn't talking about the alcohol that was in the drinks of the people in the club.

Elena frowned and also stood up. ''Good question. Didn't you tell me Klaus was a friend of the club's owner?''

Caroline nodded. ''The club is owned by my alpha. Klaus is his right hand.''

''I'll be right back.''

''Elena, what are you doing!'' Caroline called to her as Elena stalked off.

''Just make sure you have my back, Caroline.''

''But, Lena..!''

''Just let me handle this, Caroline, I'll scream if I need you.''

Caroline huffed in irritation. ''That's not very reassuring.''

''You can't force me to stay, Care. I appreciate it, but I can look out for myself.'' Elena looked at her blonde friend with raised brows. She counted to three as she watched her friend watch her with a worried expression on her face before she stalked off to the outside of the club.

Thank whoever was up there for her enhanced smell, she thought to herself as she walked around the back of the club, looking around the darkness, also glad she had perfect vision, as she surveyed the dark allies, parked cars and starry night. Looking up, she counted in her head the full moon would be in exactly seven days, on which she would be on her strongest, the deadliest supernatural creature around in the time span of an entire night.

''What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone here in the dead of the night?'' a sinister voice said from behind her. Elena held in a sigh as she smelled human on him, and turned around with a trembling lower lip. Sometimes those naturally innocent seeming big eyes really came in handy.

''I…I…was looking for my friend,'' she stammered, subtly looking at the 1 gallon jerry can he carried around in one hand, of which the cap was unscrewed.

The creepy man let his hungry gaze wander around her body, settling longer than considered appropriate on her biggest assets, so the speak, before settling on her face, cocking his head to the side and made a noncommittal sound. ''Where is your friend?''

''Over here,'' a British voice said from behind him.

The man was confused, but when he looked back at the hot chick, she was right up in his face, smirking evilly before throwing him against a wall.

''You could have made it a lot earlier,'' Elena snapped good-naturedly when she watched the man writhe in pain slumped on the ground.

''Seemed you had it all under control, love. You got him good, didn't you?'' he asked with amusement as he witnessed the man attempting time after time to understand.

Elena chuckled and shrugged, watching his pack come towards them, Caroline in tow.

''Do your magic,'' Klaus allowed.

''Thanks, Nikki,'' Elena joked, using the nickname she bestowed upon him.

Her heels clicked against the pavement as she slowly swayed towards him. She had to roll her eyes at the way his eyes were glued to her curves even when half unconscious.

''What the hell were you doing back there?'' Elena asked with a raised brow, crouching down at his level.

''I didn't do anything,'' he snapped at her, his voice wavering at the end.

Elena snatched the bottle from his hands, and smelled the bottle, scrunching her nose.

''He, Caroline?'' Elena asked without looking up.

''Yes, Elena?'' Caroline asked with mockery in her voice.

Elena had to hold back a chuckle. ''Come over here for a sec, would you? I know how much you hate liars, and this guy doesn't seem to do much else.''

''Really now? We can't have that, now can we?''

Elena made a sound that voiced her agreement before Caroline grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up against the wall.

Say what you want about the ditzy blonde, but she had some serious bite in her.

''Now, tell me again, why were you trying to set the club on fire?''

Elena ignored Caroline as she stepped back a couple of steps, almost tumbling into Klaus because of the shock overtaking all of her senses.

''Wow, there, princess. Are you okay?'' Klaus asked her.

Elena ignored the other men who had their eyes on her, and ignored the burning need in her to look to her right, and swallowed before nodding.

''These humans were compelled,'' she then said, pulling some gasps and groans from the wolfs.

''How would you know that?'' a voice she hadn't heard before, a husky, manly and velvety voice spoke up for the first time.

Elena realized it came from the side where she felt she needed to look at, and was to put lightly, surprised at the sight she was blessed with. She stared into a pair of icy blue eyes, and the second she did, it was as if some kind of force grabbed her by the hair and started pulling on her nerve-system, nothing in the world existing in that moment but them. Her gaze traveled over his milky white skin, chiseled features, raven-like hair and muscular body, his sex-on-legs-like appearance making the wolf inside her howl with appreciation.

She tried to shake herself out of the stupor, and looked around at the company they had before settling her eyes back at him. He seemed to be the alpha, it just dripped off of him.

''His eyes aren't glazed over from the excessive alcohol consummation he has been doing,'' she spoke before softly gesturing towards the other end of the ally. It seemed that at that moment everybody else noticed another human walking up to them.

''And who might you be?'' the hot alpha asked him with raised brow.

''I am here on behave of someone who still has a bone to pick with you,'' the man said in a monotone voice, his voice staring straight ahead. He almost seemed…bored…

Elena couldn't help herself, she looked towards the blue eyed definition of sex and raised a brow as it asking him 'anything else to add to that?' and he smirked at her in amusement before turning back to the human, his voice turning into a cold and menacing voice. He took a step towards the human, his muscles flexing and his face speaking of utter authority. Besides it being impossibly sexy, she could understand why this guy was the alpha. Besides physically looking the strongest, even though his build wasn't very stocky he was still buff, his demeanor spoke of leadership. She guessed he probably came from a line, bread from birth to be the leaders they are today. Those ones are always the most ruthless.

''And who might that be?'' he asked in a dark tone.

''I am not allowed to say.'' It was quiet for a while, the tension to be cut with a knife among everybody else. Out of the corner of her eyes, Elena noticed Caroline looking at her, trying to get a message through her.

Nodding that Elena got it, she zoomed in on the compelled man.

_What are you up to?_

She focused all her energy on his eyes, trying to force him to hear here. She has been born with these strange powers that abled her to do stuff like that. It was one of the many mysteries regarding her existence that she didn't have the answer to. Yet, anyway.

Suddenly, the man's head snapped up to the brunette, making everybody watch the exchange with interest. Especially the alpha, who couldn't've taken his eyes off of her even if he wanted to.

She slowly walked up to him, trying not to scare him off.

_What are you up to? _ She tried again.

The man's lips parted, feeling her magic envelope him, wrapping around him like an impenetrable cocoon.

_What are you up to?_

''A man asked me to try and burn the place down, ASAP. It didn't matter if it didn't work, at least it would get the message across,'' he said, pulling more gasps and curious gazes from the other wolves.

_Who?_

The man just shook his head. ''He warned me I could be running into you.''

Elena raised a brow.

_Why? _

''He said you were dangerous, not to be underestimated. Said if your powers developed properly you could be a deadly weapon.''

Elena's jaw locked in irritation. ''Who told you that?'' she asked out loud this time.

The man shook his head again, making Elena groan in irritation.

''Can we finish him now?'' Klaus asked impatiently to no one in particular. It was probably aimed at the alpha, but she wasn't sure that would have stopped him had the alpha said no.

Elena stepped back from the man, her head swirling with her questions. She always was used for the powers she head, the kind of powers she couldn't put a label on. Someone knowing about her powers was not good, not good at all.

''Elena?'' Caroline whispered.

Elena finally looked up from the man, who was taken further down the alley together with the now unconscious man who tried to attack Elena before.

''Hmm?''

''That actually worked?''

''I'm surprised to say yes. The last time I tried again I got thrown against a wall,'' Elena quipped without any real humor in her voice.

* * *

They were fooling around, talking about girls, like all the guys did. Damon rolled his eyes when he realized Klaus smelled his mate, not excited to see them being all mushy again. Damon never understood the concept of mating, staying with one person for the entirety that they would be alive. Where is the fun in that?

Of course, that was his main thought before Caroline came running towards them in a panic, leading them to the back of the club and he saw _her_. His gaze was first stuck to a pair of probably the sexiest pair of long legs he has ever seen, clad in his favorite piece of fabric, to the red bra showing under her blouse, and then settled on her face. Her beautiful, breath taking face. Her olive toned face was the base for some luscious lips, a cute small nose, and two big, doe brown eyes encased by impossibly long and full lashes. Her brown curls framed her face, making her even more enticing. He didn't know where the need came from the jump the hell of his bike and take her against the wall, well, beside the fact that she was really, really hot, he felt this magnetic pull that was impossible to ignore. Seeing her manhandling him, the silent conversation they were having, _ a deadly weapon? _The girl was a true mystery. A absolutely gorgeous, sexy, intriguing mystery.

When he kissed her hand, the tingles left on his lips made want to grab her and kiss her, wondering what she would taste like. _Elena, _her name just as stunning as the creature herself. When he found out she was a wolf, seeing her legs swinging back and forth on the bar stool as he brought the girls back to the VIP-section after the whole ordeal, seeing her laugh with Caroline, quickly charming all of his wolves, all he could think was _jackpot! _

''So, tell me, Elena, don't you have a pack around here?'' he asked, trying to sound bored as he took another sip from his bourbon.

He thought he saw a flash of pain cross her face, but it was gone as soon as he thought it appeared, making him question himself for a second before he saw her shaking her head and shrugging.

''Haven't had one for a while.''

''Is that safe?'' one of the wolves, Matt, asked her, a handsome blonde who had seemed to have taken a liking to the beauty, making Damon internally growl at him. Matt could feel the hostility from Damon, making him confused. Even though he thought of it as strange, when your alpha tells you to back off, you. Back. Off.

She shrugged again. ''I've been fine. It's been five years.''

''How old were you?'' another wolf, Tyler asked while sipping his beer.

''Sixteen.''

This had most of them, even Damon, almost choke on their drinks.

''You've been by yourself since you were sixteen?'' Kol asked, another wolf, who happened to be Klaus' brother.

Elena nodded, sounding a little bit bored with all the attention the men were giving her. Damon thought of it as strange. Most women he knew would revel in all the men asking them questions, trying to look down their cleavage or follow the way their female bodies swayed. Not this girl, though, Damon had noticed. She didn't get the smallest rise out of all of them, and she almost seemed disturbed by the attention the men were so obviously bestowing upon her.

_Hmm, interesting, _he thought to himself.

''You get used to it at some point. It wasn't easy but I made it work.''

His wolf senses told him she had some stature to her, which surprised him. It was in her eyes, in her voice, in her strength. Besides the fact that he was a hundred per cent sure she would be a magnificent she-wolf, it was obvious in the way she carried herself she was important. He was from the Salvatore line, he knew about that kind of stuff.

When Far East Movement's ''Like a G6'' came on however, he took his chance when most of the guys went off to find some dance partners or get more drinks. Before he could think about it, he stood in front of her with his signature smirk on his face and his hand held out.

''Miss Elena, would you like to dance?''

Elena laughed, settling with a sexy smirk on her own, making him howl on the inside.

''Who would have thought I'd find myself a gentleman in a night club.''

''Baby, I own this place, I can act however I want.''

''I'm sure,'' she said with a smile before she put her hand in his, and they settled for the dance floor, her back almost immediately shaping itself against his chest, both of them moving against each other in a way that would make a nun want to poke her own eyes out.

''I love this,'' he called huskily over the music, ghosting his hands over the leather encasing her hips.

Elena smirked, turning around in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and she rolled her hips against him, sliding her hands up and down his chest. She wasn't going to lose a chance like the one she got now.

''Took me at least thirty minutes to get in it,'' she answered cheekily.

Damon chuckled. ''I wonder how long it would take to take it off,'' he flirted.

''About forty seconds if I'm fast enough,'' he flirted back, to his shock, but he composed himself and smirked, the vision of her bare legs clouding his mind.

''Interesting fact,'' he murmured.

She made a noncommittal sound at that.

''You wanna go for a run?'' he said all of sudden, not really thinking about what he was saying.

Elena stared at him for a few moments, and for the first time of his life he found himself getting uncomfortable by a girl's stare.

''Sure, sounds fun,'' she answered him, putting him out of his misery. He didn't say anything further before taking her hand, and it didn't take long before they started running, stripping, and Damon did so with disappointment, knowing he had to concentrate on changing so he couldn't get a proper peek at her body. Changing outside of the full moon was always risky, but thankfully not as painful. You had to concentrate to follow the change fully.

Not five minutes later, a magnificent and clearly strong, jet black haired wolf stared at a graceful and toned sandy brown she-wolf in complete awe.

_Nice fur, _he complimented her. He chuckled to himself, realizing that sounded stupid.

She giggled at him in his thoughts, and took off in a supernatural run, impossible to follow for human or animalistic eyes.

Her wolf-limbs moved with a grace and swiftness only women could pull off, and he caught himself wondering what she would be like as an alpha-female. A perfect queen for a king like him, no doubt.

_This was one of the first places I visited when I was on my own in the beginning. It's where I met Caroline. She was heavily injured because she ran into some kind of hunter who'd mistaken her for a normal wolf. She mauled him to death, but not before suffering some injuries herself. She had the scent of her mate on her, so I took her to Klaus. They helped me out to settle into my skin as a wolf, so to speak, and eventually I took off, Mystic Falls being the only place I came back to every once in a while._

He listened to her story with reverence, not daring to say a word as they both settled on top of a cliff, looking down at the darkened beach. He watched her chocolaty eyes glaze over in the memory she found herself in, while resting her head on top of her forelegs. He imitated her stance, but his head was turned towards her, silently pleading with her to continue. _Why has he never told me about any of this before?_

_Don't blame him for it, it's because I asked him. I didn't want the alpha involved, especially not the one of a pack I wasn't involved with. What were you going to do, anyway? _

He knew the question was rhetorical, but he couldn't help but answer her anyway. _Ask you to join the pack, maybe._

Her head snapped towards him, and the two werewolves stared at each other for a few moments before her wolf-eyes widened in shock. _What?!_

He made a shrugging motion, which looked pretty strange on a wolf, but she got the message. _Why don't you come to a race party of this tonight? We can see how well you fit in with our pack. Being on your own like that is dangerous, Elena. A pack can offer you more than protection, you know. As a wolf you need the companionship of a family, you thrive on the feeling of having people depending on you. They could love you with everything they got, and something tells me that's not very difficult with someone like you._

If she was in her human form, she was sure she would've blushed. Even as a wolf he was absolutely mouthwatering. She was surprised that he didn't force his alpha status on her. Normally, when turned into their wolf forms, an alpha can choose whether others can sense about him if he was a leader or not. Their pride ensured it was present all the time, but for some reason, with her, he wanted her to see him as a wolf. Not above her, under her, stronger or weaker than her. Just _like_ her.

Elena smiled and turned back into a human, glad her underwear was intact. She stared at the massive wolf that was staring at her with unlocked jaw and stuck-out tongue, the wolf panting silently. The wolf in her cheered, and the girl in her wanted to squeal exidetly.

''I would love to come tonight, Alpha,'' she purred seductively, before purely acting on impulse and jumping off the cliff, relishing in the rush of the wind swishing around her, the cold of the outside night temperature, silently thanking whoever was up there for her naturally warm body temperature. The speed with which she was falling to the sea under her was exhilarating, and the moment she met the water with closed eyes, she let herself go under as far as she could go, before she paddled her way through the aggressive stream, before she realized he jumped in after her, still in his wolf form.

He paddled towards her, through the heavy waves like they were nothing, and he was watching intently how Elena maneuvered herself gracefully through the water and settled on top of a boulder.

They stared at each other, Elena marveling at the humanity in his gorgeous eyes, and Damon trying to keep control as her half-naked self, lifted her hand slowly, as if doubting her actions, and patted his nose, making him purr and come closer to her. She smiled as she buried her hand in his fur, and by the way he was moving his head with her movements, he was clearly enjoying her actions.

''Yeah, I'd really like to come tonight.''

* * *

From the tousled waves of mocha colored hair, to the heeled ankle boots, all the way up towards her green skinny jeans encasing a pair of deliciously long legs, and the tribal tank top that was tied up to just above her navel. This woman trult was temptation personified.

He was beyond shocked when she came stepping out of a white Audi-TT like she owned the place, looking around her, assessing the dancing bodies, beer drinking werewolves and race bets being made. Observing this girl was like watching his favorite movie. One moment she was as nervous as could be, looking around her, her posture telling you she was an innocent and young girl without any experience of the world, in the way she was fiddling with her hands, and looking at the scantily clad women with envy in her eyes.

A moment after that, though, when Jenna comes up to her in tight white jeans and a green top that was also tied in the front to reveal a toned stomach, a blinding smile showed on her face, her back straightened, and she exuded confidence and female dominance.

When Caroline joined the girls in a leopard print one-shoulder top and red jeans, her grin turned into a smirk, and she leaned against the car with crossed arms while enjoying some girl time. He stared at her in awe, wondering how he ever ended up with such a beauty entering his life.

Someone wolf-whistled next to him. ''Wow, quite the pretty little lady you got there.''

''Well, Ric, here I sit thinking you were already mated,'' Damon deadpanned, not taking his gaze of the brunette, examining the forming of her lips when she smiled, and the dent she created in her lower lip when she bit it enticingly.

Ric chuckled. ''Who exactly is she?''

''Friend of Caroline and Klaus, apparently. Hasn't had a pack for nearly five years.''

This caught Ric's attention, and Damon couldn't blame him. Not having a pack for so long was not a common occurrence for his kind. Like he explained to Elena less then two hours ago, being in a pack gave you a sense of security, of belonging. It was the thing every werewolf longed for. Damon knew this girl wasn't an exception to the rule.

''So you just offer she'd join us?'' he asked with disbelief. Normally, Damon would have reacted badly to one of his wolves talking to him like that, but Ric Saltzman was a different story. Ric was his friend, and he tolerated a lot more from him than he did with the average wolf.

So, instead of growling in anger, like he normally would've done, he rolled his eyes. ''I told her to take this party as a test drive. Seems like it's going well,'' he told him, not taking his eyes off the girl, whom was slowly winning over every single member of the pack.

He could imagine Caroline to be extremely excited to have Elena be an official part of the pack, seeing in the way she vehemently introduced her to everyone, proudly boasting about her beauty, her singing abilities and her aspirations to writing. He raised a brow at all the things he was learning about her, and then it struck…

''Elena Gilbert.''

Damon's jaw almost hit the ground in shock. Well, he was definitely right when thinking she was part of an important bloodline, but her blood being so strong wasn't something he would have expected.

''Well, that's new,'' Ric commented dryly, also hearing her speak out her last name.

''Really, Damon, where did she come from?'' Ric's dark blonde fiancée asked with a big grin on her face, joining the two men that were leaning against the bar.

''Caroline,'' Damon explained. He missed the mix of knowingness and confusion in the smile Jenna sent his way, but a pinch to her arm by her fiancé stopped her from commenting.

''Well, ask her to dance,'' Jenna said all of a sudden.

Damon snapped his head towards her, with a quirked eyebrow. ''And why would I want to do that?'' he asked defiantly.

Jenna rolled her eyes at him, and gestured at Elena who was talking with Elijah, laughing and giggling. ''Before someone else does so.''

Damon stared at her for a few moments, not wanting to back down, before huffing and walking towards her. Of course nothing was every easy, and before he knew it, Rose decided to bother him.

''Hey, baby,'' she purred to him. He was beyond annoyed. Didn't she see he was walking _towards _someone?

''What do you want, Rose?'' he bit out.

''A dance,'' she said with a grin. He would have said yes, hadn't he realized that a slow song was coming on, making him shake his head. ''Not with you I'm not,'' he said rudely before he walked over to Elena.

''It'd be rude not to dance you know,'' he said seductively while holding out his hand, seeing Elena was finally on his own. He ignored the whispers of Rose telling her friends about his sudden interest in the new girl, and the speculations made by his pack-members. It was funny how they already considered her a 'newbie', as if accepting her, her joining already inevitable. And really, who was he kidding? He didn't think he could let her go now anyway. The wave of possession and need to protect overwhelmed him with a vengeance when he imagined her on her own, somewhere in the middle of the road all by herself, even as a wolf sensitive to all sorts of dangers. It almost made him want t growl in anger to whoever wanted to touch her in such a way, but he suppressed it when she smiled playfully, and put her hand in his. ''Well if you put it that way,'' she drawled.

He pulled at her hand towards the dance floor, and they slowly started swaying with his hands on her hips and her hands on her neck. It was far into the night, but while staring into each other they were as awake as they could be.

**Oh Florida, please be still tonight**

**Don't disturb this love of mine**

**Look how she's so serene**

**You've gotta help me out**

**And count the stars the form in lines**

**And find the words we'll sing in time**

**I want to keep her dreaming**

**It's my one wish, I won't forget this**

**I'm outdated, overrated**

**Morning seems so far away**

**So I'll sing a melody**

**And hope to God she's listening**

**Sleeping softly while I sing**

**And I'll be your memories**

**Your lullaby for all the times**

**Hoping that my voice could get it right**

No, it didn't seem that looking away from each other was an option for them.

**If luck is on my side tonight**

**My clumsy tongue will make it right**

**And wrists that touch**

**It isn't much, but it's enough**

**To form imaginary lines**

**Forget your scars, we'll forget mine**

**The hours change so fast**

**Oh God, please make this last.**

**Cause I'm outdated, overrated**

**Morning seems so far away**

**So I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening**

**Sleeping softly while I sing**

**And I'll be your memories**

**Your lullaby for all the times**

**Hoping that my voice could get it right**

**Could get it right**

There is was again, the electric currents above them, swirling around their heads like a baby crying for attention. This wasn't annoying for them, though. It was a strange sensation, but certainly not unwelcome.

Suddenly Damon understood why Ric, Klaus and some others could spend hours staring at their mates and not get tired. It felt like this girl could hold his interest forever. He simply didn't feel the need to look away. It never got _too _intense, or _too _awkward. That was the strange part, though. The pull, the connection they felt, the reflection of themselves in their eyes, that seemed almost familiar to them, like they'd been feeling it since forever.

**You could crush me**

**Please don't crush me**

**Cause baby I'm a dreamer for sure**

**And I won't let you down**

**I swear this time I mean it**

**And I'll sing a melody**

**And hope to God she's listening**

**Sleeping softly while I sing**

**And I'll be your memories**

**Your lullaby for all the times**

**Hoping that my voice could get it right.**

Yeah, there simply wasn't another option for the both of them then to keep staring.

''I'll see if we can work in an initiation ceremony as soon as possible,'' he muttered without really thinking about it.

Her eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning, and that seemed to have made his spur of the moment decision worth it. Whatever this girl's presence in his life meant for his future, he welcomed it. With open arms.

* * *

**You've made it to the annoying author's note, folks! lol.**

**anyway, the outfits are on my polyvore, and the song I used was ''I Sweart This Time I Mean It'' by Mayday Parade.**

**Hope you liked it, and leave a review if you did. even if you didn't *chuckles***

**By the way, if their attraction already seems a little bit too intense and strong for a second chapter, let's remember the whole 'mating' thing. Their connenction is supposed be to so strong from the beginning. whether they act on it immediately, is the question ;)**

**Love, Lay.**


	3. Cherry Wine & Jackal's Blood

**Here's chapter 3 of ILB. Sorry for the long wait, I kind of blacked out in the middle of this chapter and didn't know for the life of me know how to finish it. Lucky for me, it flowed out pretty easily today. So, enjoy !**

**Also thank you to everybody took the time to read, review, subscribe and favorite this story, you guys rock!**

* * *

An initiation ceremony happened from time to time among his kind, but it wasn't overly common. For the richer wolves, the ones that led a wealthy existence in the day, before the dangerous lives they led, stepped away from the nightly race parties and binge drinking to organize a lavish affair in honor of the newest member of the pack, the one that hasn´t been added naturally by birth.

So that´s how Damon was adjusting his midnight blue tie in his old childhood room in his parent´s mansion, while chewing his bottom lip, his thoughts once again on the brunette that was currently in the same street as him, getting ready for the same event as him. It was strange, how much he wanted to be near her, how he hadn´t slept half of the night because he was haunted by the thoughts of her body pressed tightly against his. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

''You look handsome, dear,'' he heard a sugar sweet voice coming from his door, and almost automatically a boyish grin appeared on his face before he turned on his heels and kissed his mother on the cheek. The older woman was beautiful for her age, with barely a wrinkle on her, her face rejuvenated by all the smiling she has done in her lifetime.

''Thank you, ma, you look beautiful, too,'' he said, knowing his father was beyond proud that his forty-something wife still looked ever so beautiful in her pink/orang-ish cape style georgette gown, her dark brown curls hanging loosely over her shoulders.

She kissed him back on the cheek, and sat down on his king sized bed, inspecting some pictures strewn across the room he hadn't slept in for years.

''Who is she?'' she asked inquisitively as she looked out the window, having a perfect view of Elena, Caroline and Jenna walking towards Caroline and Klaus' apartment with several bags in their hands – to his expense, of course. He still doesn't understand why he offered, but he should kind of already expect such reactions from him regarding this girl.

''Elena Gilbert,'' he said, pulling a gasp from the elder woman sitting on his bed. His mother may be entirely human, hence the reason his father had to step down early from the throne and let his eldest son take over as soon as he could, but she knew all about the rules of wolves and their ranks. And she knew that the Gilberts were among the bigger names. One of the biggest names that got lost and forgotten among the massive tragedy that occurred five years ago.

''Do you think she…'' Maria asked breathlessly, her voice full of compassion, his heart going out for his mother's ever-prominent love for everything that breathed.

Damon nodded sadly. ''The chances are big. Everything adds up, so it's probably her.''

''Does that mean that John..''

Damon almost growled, earning a surprised look from his mother, who, thankfully for him, didn't press further. ''Not if John knows what's good for him.''

Maria huffed, while fixing Damon's bowtie for him, considering his anger made him mess it up again. ''He is on Salvatore ground, remember. The moment she becomes one of us, he can't touch her,'' she said softly.

Damon sighed. ''I know, ma.''

''Why are you so protective of her?'' she asked in that ever so prominent motherly non-judging tone of her.

''I don't know, ma. I really don't know.''

* * *

For the past five years, Elena had made peace with the idea that things like this would never happen to her again. She would never be able to wear silk dresses again, or feel diamonds tugging on her earlobes. She was okay with it, though. The worst part of it all was the fact that she couldn't have any permanent friends anymore.

Never in that time, had she ever stopped to wonder what it would be like to feel like that again. To have a sense of friendship with a couple of girls, again. She never thought she would be in a friend's bedroom, sipping some sweet cherry wine while chatting with said friend about the upcoming festivities.

''It's mostly just an excuse to have a lavish party, really, showing off to other packs how much money the Salvatore's have and to show off the new pack member, you know, you,'' Caroline told her.

''Which means you'll probably be on Damon's arm for the most of the night,'' Katherine added with a grin. She met Katherine that afternoon and got introduced to her by Caroline and Jenna. Katherine was a…character. She was feisty and hotheaded, brutally honest and kind of a bitch, but had to thank Stefan Salvatore for the fact that she was tolerable now. Loyal to the people she cared about, and not socially awkward in the least, not afraid to call you out on your shit. Even though Caroline was the main target for Katherine's jabs, she had seemed to take a liking to the fellow brunette, and not just because they bared physical resemblances.

Elena's eyed widened. ''What you do mean?'' she asked while taking an extra big gulp of her wine.

''Well, you're supposed to be shown off, people need to see you and get to know you, and who is better to guide you through that then the alpha himself?'' Jenna explained.

Katherine rolled her eyes and huffed. ''Great job, Jen. You could've just told her that Damon himself almost bit Matt's head off when he mentioned escorting her.''

Elena's eyes widened, not knowing how to respond to that. As if her jumbled thoughts regarding a particular blue-eyed alpha weren't messing with her head all the time, there was something else to mull over. She didn't know if she should be flattered that he wanted to be the one escorting her and the one he wanted on his arm tonight, or if she should be offended because he was treading her like an object or prize, if that were even his intentions in the first place. Regardless, the butterflies that came up after Katherine blurted it out were an unstoppable force in her stomach now.

''Okay, anyway, subject change!'' Caroline called out not-so-subtly.

Elena grinned at Caroline's successful attempt to help her, and stood up to reach for the dress that she had in her outstretched hand.

* * *

She had forgotten how these parties could get. People, dressed to the nines, expensive wines, mindless chit chat and the jealous gazes.

It took a moment for Elena to get used to the blinding lights that were shot her way and the ravenous gazes that were directed toward her. She couldn't blame the women, though. Damon Salvatore was an absolute God in regards to his looks, with his piercing blue eyes and charming smirk. The alpha in him demanded attention, but most of the gazes immediately slid over to the beauty on his arm. Elena had her brunette waves thrown over one shoulder in soft ringlets, showing off collarbone. Her mermaid baroque print gown was a beautiful combination of blue and purple, enhancing her prominent female curves, and eventually spreading out around her at the knees. Her make up done flawlessly, she was an absolute vision, and it was clear to everybody that Damon was proud to have such an exotic beauty on his arm, something that nobody had seen in the short three years he has taken over the pack in Mystic Falls.

''Why is everybody staring?'' she whispered to him. It took some time to get used to the stares, and it felt as if she descended the stairs in her underwear, so she had to fight the urge to throw her arms around herself self-consciously.

''Because we're hot,'' he replied back cheekily, making Elena chuckle and roll her eyes at him, to which he grinned boyishly in return.

Elena swatted his arms playfully and rolled her eyes before willingly letting him take her to the dance floor.

''You're quite the dancer,'' she noticed as he moved her along the crowd with an easy grace. He was like a black panther, the way he held her like she was entirely made of satin, how he weaved them over the dance floor like they were walking on water. In his arms she felt like a princess, and above all: she felt save. That was such a foreign feeling, it scared her beyond belief. For so long she had to look out for herself, and feeling like she could handle the world's weight on her shoulders as long as she was in his arms was leaving her breathless.

Damon smirked at her, turning her already unsteady legs into Jell-O. ''I know,'' he said cockily, and Elena was glad she still had the presence of mind to roll her eyes at him.

They were so lost in staring into the pools of liquid in each other's eyes that they hadn't noticed that the dance floor had cleared out for them. Yes, that was so clichéd it deserved its own movie, but there was no denying in how they dominated the dance floor. They weren't only beautiful together, but also powerful and demanded everyone's attention. Them dancing together caught everyone's eye the second they entered the dance floor, and people couldn't deny how unbelievably good they looked together, the way Damon held her protectively, looking every bit the masculine protector with her small and toned body in his arms. In turn Elena looked like a princess, melting in his arms, radiating femininity as she let him lead her, captivating the big bad alpha with just a stare and a giggle.

Nobody could deny what a powerhouse couple they were to the eye of the outside world.

* * *

The night went by fairly quickly, and before they knew it, it was almost time to initiate her. Damon was pleasantly surprised and enthralled with the girl on his arm. After he had led her off the dance floor to mingle with guests, he had been surprised as to how she had charmed and smiled her way through every guest, and every business partner, every ally was utterly smitten by her. Who could he blame, though? This girl received smoldering gaze after smoldering gaze and she hadn't noticed any of it.

Even now, as she was happily chatting with Jenna, she was oblivious to Mason Lockwood making his way towards her after Jenna left.

He growled silently as he noticed he was chatting her up, but he had to remind himself to stay right where he was. He already made his own pack speculate about where he really stood with Elena, and he didn't want people to think more of what it was when even he didn't know what the hell he was doing with this girl.

''Calm down, Damon. She's too smart to be interested in such a stupid slime ball like Lockwood,'' Ric reassured him.

''How can you be so sure?'' he asked skeptically.

''Just watch,'' he said in his I'm-one-of-your-best-friends-and-I-know-you-better-than-you-know-yourself-voice.

Even so, Damon rolled his eyes but looked anyway, knowing of experience that if Ric advised him to do something else than what he wanted to do, he listened to Ric.

Staring intently at her, really scrutinizing her stance, he was surprised to feel her anxiety rolling off of her in waves. Nobody else seemed to notice it, and he was the only one who noticed the way she flinched when Mason touched her arm, and how fake her smile was. When she flipped her hair over her shoulder in pure instinct, he took it wrongly and tried to kiss her, and she backed up. Damon flexed his muscles, aware that they were in a crowded room, but as soon as it looked as if he was forcing himself on her, he listened in.

''Come on, Elena, I've noticed you from across the room..'' _well, yeah, who hasn't? Dick… ''_..and you're clearly asking for it,'' he drawled, leaning closer.

''Asking for it? How dare you!'' she bit out in surprise.

''Well, look at you,'' he said in the same disgusting tone as if he was planning out in his head how this night was going to end if it was up to him, making Damon want to hurl at the image.

Elena rolled her eyes at him. ''Go away, Mason, I don't have time for your crap.''

''Come on, Lennie! Like old times,'' he said with an ugly toothy grin, grabbing her arm.

''Let go of me,'' she bit out through clenched teeth.

''Why should I? I've had you in the past, let's relive the good old days!''

''There was nothing 'good' about you, Mason. Utterly disappointing, would be a better word,'' she almost spit out.

''No need in playing hard to get.''

When he got too close, Damon had enough and he stormed away in the middle of Ric's lecture.

Just when he was about to pounce on Mason, Elena surprised him and everybody around by slapping him right across his face, and judging by the red hand-print, hard. Damon grinned at Elena, but seeing as to how distraught she was, he picked Mason up roughly by his collar with both hands, and growled. ''Touch her again, and I will _end _you,'' he hissed menacingly. He only got more agitated when Mason grinned at him, and before Damon knew it he felt Richard Lockwood come his way and Damon let him go, throwing a protective arm around Elena, and he reveled in how such a strong girl like herself would lean into _him, _like she was looking to _him _for support. He tightened his arm around her, never feeling as much like a man as he did with her in her arms, the warmth of her body engulfing him in a beautiful glow that gave him more courage to stand up to the other pack, the only pack in the state that dared to give them trouble just for the sake of seeking out a fight.

''Nothing to see here, people,'' Richard announced when he came, and slowly the crowd drifted, going back to what they were doing, although no one could deny the tension in the room and how heat broke out because of the staring contest Mason and Damon were in right now.

''Everything al…Elena?'' Richard asked surprised.

Elena looked up at Richard, and Damon heard her sharp intake of breath. Before Damon knew it, the surprise turned into a stony expression and she stormed off, escaping out of his embrace.

''What the hell was that, Salvatore! What is Elena Gilbert doing here?'' Richard demanded roughly, to which Mason looked on with a smug expression and Damon rolled his eyes, stepping towards the older man with a menacing glare. He noticed his parents came up towards him, but he ignored them, only focusing on the anger he felt for the two men who dared to scare his girl.

Wa…what?

He shook it off of him like a decease, and decided to focus on the task at hand.

''I don't have to discuss pack business with you, Richard. Whatever is going on with Elena is none of your business, has never been your business, and never, ever will be your business, do you understand me?''

Even though Richard was older than Damon, he couldn't help but cower away slightly in fear and confusion. Damon was nothing if not terrifying when claiming his territory.

Wait, was that was he was doing? Claiming Elena was his? God, he hoped Richard didn't interpret it as that, or else he would be in deep shit regarding the beauty outside.

Oh! Elena! Shit! He stared Mason down quickly for a few seconds, clearly sending off a warning, and when his parents, Ric and Klaus reached them, he got out of there as quick as he could, and saw Elena standing on the lower steps with her arms wrapped around herself, staring up at the full moon.

He stared at her face, even more breathtaking now that there was only the natural light of what was in their eyes, nature's most powerful entity.

He was quiet for a second, not touching her, not saying anything, watching her as she stared at the ground, back to the moon, into the woods back at the ground again.

''When I was with my old pack, the one I was born in, my dad was the alpha. Grayson Gilbert, but I'm sure you had figured that out already… One day my father decided he wanted to create an alliance with one of the more violent packs in Virginia because he wanted to set up camp there, because we are originally from West-Virginia. Anyway, it was Richard's pack.

''My dad had everything figured out already. He would organize a party, and I was there to seduce his brother Mason, who was…is his Beta in command. This was a couple of months before they were killed in that fire and before my pack was massacred. My mother was against the whole plan of course, didn't want her sixteen year old daughter attending one of those race parties my older brother Jeremy always used to throw.

''I was allowed on the condition that Jeremy would be watching me. Me and my brother were close, so he and I both knew he was just going to let me do whatever I wanted and beat up someone if I got myself into trouble. I met this girl…Vicki Donovan. She was with Tyler, Richard's son, he was the only Lockwood I got along with at the time, so I figured Vicki would be equally as tolerating. Naïf, right?'' she scoffed at herself, but didn't look at Damon and continued her tale, not knowing where all this came from, knowing this was the first time in five years she willingly showed anyone a sliver of the past life she'd led, let alone one of the things that led her to become the person she was now..

''She took me to a more secluded area of the party, mostly dominated by Lockwood's wolves. I was nervous, considering this was my first race party and there was no one in sight that I knew. I got scared because that was the first moment I lost my brother out of my sight, and I had always relied on him to protect me. She eventually got me to smoke a joint, and put something in my drink. She handed me over to Mason, and after that the only think I could remember was Jeremy carrying me off to my car in my underwear, his leather jacket draped over my shoulders.'' She shivered as she relived the numbness, the pain she had felt as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

''He didn't succeed in doing anything, but my father immediately put a stop to the alliance, said that if his pack ever tried to come near us again he would personally rip every single one of them apart. I was young, I was weak, Mason could have done anything he wanted and I wouldn't have been strong enough to stop him. Not now though, I've matured and grown up, and for some reason he gets a kick out of that. I'm not afraid to defy him in public just because Jeremy isn't around anymore.''

The tears slowly resided, and she stared out in front of her, completely forgetting for a second that Damon was there with her.

She turned around, still shaking, staring at his solemn expression as he draped his leather jacket, over her shoulders. She smiled, both of them knowing what the gesture meant. _I'll protect you, too._

It shocked Elena how much it meant to her that he had done that, the gentlemanly gesture meaning so much more to them than the naked eye of a stranger would guess. By way of agreeing with him she slid her arms through it and zipped it up, hugging the jacket to her chest, making him smile at her.

''I won't let him come near you, Elena,'' he said with conviction.

Elena stared at this handsome man for what could have been a couple of minutes, scrutinizing every agonizingly perfect feature of his, studying the sincerity in his eyes.

''I know,'' she said eventually, a softness in her tone she didn't know she could possess, letting him kiss the top of her head, not missing how his eyes had lit up at her acquiesce.

Eventually Damon grinned that boyish grin of his again, as if he was up to something. ''Come on, we got a ceremony to conduct,'' he said with a wink, enjoying the laugh that slipped from her lips as he wound her arm through his and they walked back into the building.

* * *

Being part of a pack, feeling the rush through her veins as Damon announced her and they all drank the shot of jackal's blood, a centuries old symbol of transformation. When the blood combining came between Elena and Damon though, her pledging her loyalty to her new alpha, they were the only two, together with their official witnesses, Katherine and Stefan, who could see how their blood was silently boiling as Damon spoke out the officiating words. She tried to ignore it, and let Damon continue, even though she was the only one who could feel the hand that was holding her arm was slightly, almost invisibly shaking.

''I welcome you, Elena Marie Gilbert, newest member of the Salvatore Clan!'' he announced proudly, to which the crowd erupted in an enthusiastic applause. Everybody had noticed the charming beauty. Unknowingly to herself, she had a reputation now, too. The sweet girl with the heart of gold, the charming brunette who had the powerful alpha completely wrapped around her finger.

* * *

**And there you have it, Elena's officially part of the pack ! Now we'll see where we'll go from here, how Elena will adjust to not having to live as a nomad anymore, how she all of a sudden can live the normal life of the young adult she is. She has to re-learn, for lack of a better word, how it is to be part of a pack again, and above all: try to find out why the hell she is feeling so strongly for a man she technically barely knows. **

**Until next time!**

**XOXO,**

**Layla**


	4. This Is Where I Sleep

**Hello lovely readers! Here is another chapter for ILB. Enjoy and tell me what you think!**

**Discl:I don't own the show or it's characters. All rights go to their respective owners.**

* * *

To say her life had changed would be a massive understatement.

First, her new living arrangements. It was strange to have a roof over her head again, not having to worry about where she would have to find shelter from bad weather or the creepy men that liked to roam the streets looking for pretty and underfed girls like her.

What was even worse about that was that her house was the Salvatore Mansion.

They couldn't find a house for her in such short notice, and because Damon didn't want her to stay out any longer than she had to, he offered her a room in the Salvatore Boarding House, a beautiful mansion that has been there since the late 1800s. The house gave off a very rustic and homey vibe, it's browns and reds making you feel at home instantly. The walls of the first and main floor consisted out of uncovered bricks, the furniture was dark and the walls were aligned with pictures and posters.

She got to decorate her own room, so she took Jenna, Caroline and Katherine with her to shop for furniture, and it was safe to say she had never seen such a group of people who could get along so well, but be so incredibly different at the same time it was ridiculous. Caroline, which was no surprise, as all about the glitz and glamour, wanting to paint her walls pink, buy her a fur rug and a freaking chandelier in her room. Jenna was a 'master bedroom' kind of girl, going for simplicity and color schemes. Katherine was spending the entire afternoon convincing Elena to buy a mirror to put above her bed.

Yeah, how about no.

All Elena wanted though, from day one, was a second chance. She took that second chance with both hands to try to recreate her old room, minus the teddy bears and band-posters, obviously. Her room had a cream color scheme, giving it more of a feminine than a girly vibe. Her duvet on the queen sized bed in the middle of her room was a soft cream color, almost pink, the same color as the curtains covering the floor to ceiling window was. On one side of theroom was a vanity table with a baroque chair, and on the other side a massive bookcase that she had filled out the second it was installed. Her walk-in-closet was still empty for the most part, but for some reason she imagined that with the kind of friends she had made around here, that would change very soon.

Another change was in her physical appearance. She had filled out in places, considering her meals were consistent now. Her cheeks filled out again and her heart-shaped face had returned, together with her natural olive complexion. The practically permanent circles under her eyes had almost completely disappeared, and she was wearing heels again. Her eyes shined and her smile was genuine again, which was one of the changes she had welcomed.

One of the changes the hadn't welcomed, though, was the amount of money Damon Salvatore was spending on her. On the night her room was finished, she realized her sheets were made out of silk. The next morning, creepily so, her closet was filled out with clothes and a crazy amount of shoes all in her size and style, and she couldn't forget the make-up and beauty products outlining her bathroom sink. The clothes had been top of the line, the oldest books in her collection she cherished so much were almost all first editions, and even her make-up was all designer. The third night a brand new smart phone was resting on a shiny iPod dock like it had been there all the time, charging through the night. More jewelry, sunglasses and watches outlined her walk-in-closet, and her drawers were filled with lacy, silk and foam bras and underwear, teddies and slips of the richest fabrics.

When on the forth day more clothes, more books and more lingerie had arrived she began to fume, but for some reason wherever she went, Damon was nowhere to be found.

When the fifth day an acceptance letter came for Virginia State University, though, she went straight to his bedroom, where he was still asleep, the covers resting low on his hips, revealing his torso. Elena had to take sharp breath when she saw his mouthwatering upper body, his pectoral muscles strong and defined, his arms bulged enticingly and looked as strong as they felt. The happy trail under his navel made her pant on the inside, but when he began to stir, she quickly fixed her eyes on his beautiful face, trying to bring back the anger she felt towards him. Which wasn't very difficult.

''Elena,'' he said with a welcoming but confused smile, his voice still husky and groggy from sleep deprivation, which was incredibly sexy... – oh, no, Elena, bad timing! _Bad timing!_

Before he could say another word, she flung a book to his head.

''Hey! That was a first edition!'' he said exasperated, jumping out of his bed, giving Elena a perfect view of his – sculpted right out of the heavens – body.

''Exactly!'' she screeched out, and she had to roll her eyes when he frowned in confusion. ''Five days, Damon! I'm here for five days and you've spent so much money on me! Do you know how guilty that makes me feel? And not the mention cheap! How do you even know what my sizes are? That my favorite books happen to be those first editions _you _bought? I was tolerant in the beginning but it's driving me crazy!'' she let out all at once, the words tumbling out of her mouth like an unstoppable tidal wave. She had been a ticking time bomb the last few days and she hadn't seen Damon in any of them, which surprisingly was also a factor to her irritation towards Mr. Sex-On-Legs.

To make her frustration even worse, he smirked at her, looking her appearance up and down with a strange mix of admiration and amusement, lingering a little longer on her legs and bust than she would have liked.

''Damon!'' she screeched to get his attention back to her face.

''So let me get this straight…'' he started as he took several steps closer to her, and she took several steps back, ''you are mad at me, your alpha, because I spent money on you?'' he asked, it was obvious that he didn't believe her, or at least believed her but found it strange.

She nodded her head vigorously. ''Yes!''

''Why?'' he asked in that same calm tone that seemed to infuriate her all the more. She felt the pull on her senses that told her to back the hell off because he was technically her Alpha now, but she couldn't seem to stop.

''Because I feel cheap, Damon!'' at his raised brows, she sighed dramatically, and plopped down on his bed without preamble.

''Why would I make you feel cheap by buying you stuff? I thought girls like that,'' he started as he sat down next to her, sounding a little too unsure for his own ears. He, too, forgot he was her Alpha and he was supposed to exude male dominance and leadership. He was the one to put her in her place, and not the other way around. But, as usual, even though he hadn't known her for less than a week, he completely forgot himself around her, feeling like a normal person, feeling like the boyfriend that was being scolded for flirting with another girl. Humpf.

''For five years I've looked out for myself, Damon,'' she continued in a much smaller voice than she had started out, ''I've always survived on the first thing I could get. I let go of the princess attitude, made peace with the fact that I would never live like that again. Having to depend on someone for that sort of thing is….it's making me uncomfortable.''

He raised his brows and his eyes widened in understanding. Before he knew It he wrapped an arm around her and drew her to him. ''I never meant for you to feel that way, Elena. I like buying you stuff.''

He could have done a happy dance right there in front of her because she cuddled into his side unconsciously.

''I know you didn't, it's just strange for me, Damon, you have to understand that.''

They were silent for a few moments, but Damon didn't dare to let her go.

''You'll go to school, right? I'd feel bad if you didn't,'' he said, breaking the comfortable silence.

To his disappointment, she escaped from under his arm and stood up, giving him a perfect few of her fantastic hourglass figure as she stood before him with her hands on her hips.

''Why do you care so much?'' she blurted out.

He raised a brow at her, not wanting to answer that question. ''What are you talking about?''

''Buying me all this stuff, offering me a roof over my head, wanting me to go to school…'' she counted, trailing off slowly.

Damon sighed and scratched the back of his head. ''You're part of my pack now, Elena. I take care of you because that's my job.''

''What, you feel obligated? Because I can take perfect care of myself,'' she bit out.

Damon smiled at this feisty girl, gently putting his hands on her hips. He felt her stiffen under his touch, but then slowly relax as he drew small circles on her slightly protruding hipbones.

''I take care of you because I want to, Elena. Why won't you let me?'' he asked softly, too mesmerized by the softness of her skin to say much else.

''Because it makes me feel guilty,'' she said, a little breathless.

It was like a switch was turned on, turning up the heat in the room several degrees. His hands on her body were as blatant and unavoidable as a razor piercing her skin or a feather tickling naked flesh.

''Well, it's shouldn't,'' he said, his voice had lowered several octaves, the tone of his voice now husky and his intentions pretty obvious.

Elena gulped nervously, the tension in the room almost threating to swallow her whole. It was silent for a moment between them, the only thing that was audible in the background was the ticking of the grandfather-clock in his room. The sound seemed deafening, like church bells ringing right next to her ears.

Elena decided to break the trance they were in and took a step back, making Damon's hands fall back onto his lap lifelessly.

And just like that, the spell was gone, and Elena looked at her feet in embarrassment while Damon was coughing, trying to pretend that hadn't happened.

''I'll go to school, but only if you let me pay you back,'' she said with determination, crossing her arms. She wasn't going to let him pay for her all the time. She was used to her independence. It didn't just make her uncomfortable, because she knew he had enough money to feel an entire continent for a year (probably more), but she didn't want to lose this side of her. She wasn't the girl that had gotten everything handed to her on a silver platter just because of the last name she carried around with her, not anymore. That last name she now carried with shame, instead of pride.

She took care of herself for five years and she had come out more than fine. She wasn't going to lose her pride just because Damon Salvatore wanted to act like the alpha male he was.

''Lena..''

She ignored the way she liked how the nickname sounded coming from his lips, and shook her head with vehemence. ''No. it's either that, or I waste away my days working in a grocery store trying to pay you back for all of this. Take your pick, Damon.''

He groaned in frustration, but nodded anyway. Nothing was ever easy with this girl, was it? ''Fine, you got yourself a loan.'' Not that he was going to take the money anyway, but she didn't have to know that. She had her pride, well, he had his, too.

She had a smug smile on her lips he wanted to wipe off by pressing himself against her, but as she walked out of his room without a single glance back, all he could do was fall back against his bed and sigh deeply, as if he had finished an intense work out. Looking down at himself, he groaned, figuring that would probably good idea. After a cold shower.

Seems like angry Elena got to him a lot more than he would've liked to admit.

* * *

Another big change was the change of pace. After her argument with Damon they hadn't spoken much, but had acted around each other civilized and like people that 'knew' each other. Not as if they were two people with an insane attraction towards each other and a sexual tension everyone could feel when they were in the same room as them. As if they weren't two people who didn't think about much else but each other, and who's blood didn't boil when it came into contact with each other.

Before she knew it, it was Sunday, and she was wasting away this lazy day with Caroline at the Mystic Grill, munching on some fries while having some good old fashion girl talk. Another thing she hadn't realized she missed so much.

''You're going to absolutely love VSU! It'll be a little strange considering you'll be a twenty-one year old freshman, but you probably won't be the only one. I took a semester off last time so I'll be starting my senior year tomorrow with you, aren't you excited?'' Caroline babbled on, Elena listening with divided interest. Yes, she was excited to go to school again, but she felt a little guilty when she heard from Katherine that Damon and some of his guys had to forge a high school diploma for her. it had been bugging her ever since she had heard about it, but she had decided to try and not over think that matter. They did it so they could get her into school, so she felt that after everything they did for her, she was supposed to be grateful, instead of resenting them for their actions. She hadn't apologized to Damon, though. Her pride and overall personality just couldn't let her do that.

''Elena? Elena, you with me?'' Carolina asked, waving her beer bottle in front of Elena's face to get her attention.

The brunette shook herself out of her musings and smiled at Caroline, nodding her head. ''It just feels weird, I guess,'' she told her new blonde friend.

Caroline smiled with a compassion that made Elena want to weep. Instead of doing that, though, she popped a couple of fries in her mouth and chewed, listening to Caroline talk about Klaus.

Speaking of which…

''Ah, just the pretty ladies we wanted to see,'' A British voiced bellowed.

He walked towards their booth and slid in next to Caroline. He threw an arm around her and started kissing her heatedly.

Elijah slid in next to Elena and smirked. ''P.D.A. Is firmly associated with my brother and his mate from the moment they got together, I'm afraid,'' he quipped to Elena, making her laugh slightly. She really had taken a liking to Elijah ever since she had talked to him first on the night of the ceremony. He was nice, a true gentleman, always so calm and composed, and the best part? He never asked questions. Which was more than she could say about the rest of her new family.

''Caroline called, didn't she?'' Elena asked with an eye roll, smiling as she shared her fries with Elijah.

He nodded. ''They can't seem to be far away from each other for longer than a few hours, it seems.''

Elena smiled softly at the couple that now had ceased their excessive P.D.A. and were now softly whispering to each other and gazing at each other in complete adoration. At first glance, Caroline and Klaus seemed all about the physical aspects of their relationship, but when they were having these sickly sweet couple-y moments, you can see it was anything but that.

Elena turned her head towards the older brother before she was going to throw up and smiled at him. ''I noticed. What about you, why did he drag you over here?''

''We are supposed to have a meeting with Damon in a few minutes. Just a routine perimeter check-up. We got to keep our territory save and charted.''

Elena nodded, and excitement building up in her belly that she wanted to keep down for knowing their Alpha would be here in a couple minutes.

She kept her conversation with Elijah light, and it didn't take long before Caroline and Klaus finally recollected their manors from off the floor and joined them in.

''You guys having fun?''

Elena couldn't help but stiffen when she heard his velvet-like voice from behind her, and when all of them turned around, he squeezed himself next to Elena.

''What are we talking about?'' he asked casually, stealing some fries from Elena's plate, making her roll her eyes at him.

''Us going back to school,'' Caroline said with a grin.

Elena smiled at Caroline. She couldn't help it, Caroline's enthusiasm automatically seemed to reach out to every person that was around her for more than a couple of minutes. She couldn't help but fantasize and be excited for her first normal human experience in years.

''You excited?'' Damon asked with a smile.

Elena nodded. ''Extremely. Feels good to be able to do stuff like this again.''

''What are you taking?'' Klaus asked her, his arm firmly around Caroline's waist.

''English,'' she said with a grin.

''Interesting. What do you plan on doing when you're done?'' Elijah asked.

''Writing, hopefully. Or maybe teach at the local high school.''

''That sounds interesting. What would you be writing about?'' he asked again.

Elena shrugged, suddenly aware of all the attention being on her. the exhaled when she felt a warm hand resting on the small of her back. ''Okay, guys, that'll be enough questioning the girl for one day. Let's go do what we came here for, hmm?'' Damon asked with a raised brow.

Elena turned to him when the men stood up and smiled at him, her eyes shining with the 'thank you' she couldn't say out loud. He smirked at her, silently accepting her thank you before sauntering off. Elena was surprised at how they seemed to be able to communicate with words. It shocked her so much she was lost in her own thoughts for a moment before Caroline snapped her fingers in front of her again.

''Lena!''

Elena snapped her head to the blonde, her expression a mixture of frustration and amusement.

''Sorry, what were you saying?''

''What's with you and Damon?''

Elena sighed. ''Nothing,'' she tried, but of course, Caroline was like a dog with a bone. No way she was going to let this go until she was satisfied.

''Come on, Elena, that was definitely not _nothing_. The sexual tension was practically dripping from you two!'' she said a little too loudly for Elena's taste.

''Shh!'' she said when a couple of cheerleaders turned to them, looking them up and down with contempt. The teenagers couldn't have been older than sixteen, and they thoroughly examined the new girl from head to toe, from the scroll beanie resting on the back of her head on top of her silky mane, to the off shoulder long sleeve batwing top and the tight camouflage pants. The western style booties that encased her feet were tapping against the wooden floors of the Bar & Grill as she was talking to the pretty blonde everybody knew. The hadn't seen the brunette girl before this week, but since the weekend before, when the town was buzzing with news about the Salvatore's throwing another one of those parties that were only for Mystic Falls' elite and everybody else who was rich and important. They were used to it by now, but seeing that new girl being accepted into their circle so easily was something to be jealous over. The teenage girls didn't know the real story of course, but that didn't matter to them. Seeing her together with Damon Salvatore, them flirting and being playful all the time was another reason to not like her.

The girls had heard that she was actually a really nice person, but that was another thing they didn't care, or not wanted to think about.

''I bet she's wearing extensions, nobody's hair is that long,'' one of the girls whispered.

Another girl rolled her eyes but said nothing. The blonde leader of the group had been after Damon for years. Seeing him watching the new girl from the bar was not something to get jealous over, though, because they both new the teenagers would never stand a chance against the brunette, mainly because they all knew he would choose her over a sixteen year old any day.

''Where do you think she's from?'' another girl asked.

''I bet she's from the west coast or something. Some kind of model with fake boobs,'' someone else added.

The blonde leader added. ''Whatever.'' She didn't elaborate, and instead followed the brunette as she stood up with a smile and she rolled her eyes at Caroline Forbes, who also stood up after her.

''What's her name?'' she asked one of the girls.

''Elena Gilbert,'' one of them said.

The leader nodded, staring at _Elena_. Ugh, why did she have to be so pretty?

* * *

Elena had to hold in a grin as she felt the cheerleaders staring at them.

''Seems you're the new spectacle in town,'' Caroline giggled in amusement, also having heard the girls taking about her.

''The blonde doesn't seem to like me very much,'' Elena said dryly with a smirk. She wasn't one to like being the talk of the town, at least not anymore, but even she could appreciate the sheer stupidity of it all.

''Humans,'' Caroline said with a dramatic sigh, wiping imaginary sweat from her forehead.

Elena laughed at her friend and rolled her eyes before standing up. ''You want to get out of here? I think there is a carton of ice cream calling our name in my bedroom and some DVD's that are begging to be raided?''

Caroline jumped up after Elena, and hooked her arm through, sparing Damon one last glance, he winked at her and smirked at the cheerleaders, signaling that he had heard them, too. He, too, seemed to be amusement and was ridiculing them. Their silent conversation continued and she rolled her eyes at his antics as he ordered another drink near to where the girls were sitting.

''Damon, hey, over here!'' the blonde girl screeched in her annoying voice tone.

Damon ignored them. Instead he turned to Elijah with amused smirk on his face. ''Where'd Elena go?''

The girl's sullen expression was the last thing she saw before the two older girls headed out of the door in a fit of laughter.

* * *

One of Elena's favorite parts of living in Mystic Falls was how the city was during night time. Most of them, including Damon, had gone out of town to a club in Richmond for a night out. They had begged her to go, but the last week had been so full of excitement she was enjoying some 'me'-time for herself. She hadn't forgotten the disappointment in his eyes when Damon realized she wasn't coming with them, but she had tried to not let it change her mind.

Although she was a little sad and disappointed because he wasn't around right now, something she didn't want to dwell on, she was happy to be able to wander around the dark streets of Mystic Falls, a leather jacket thrown over the dark colored outfit she had chosen for the day.

She wasn't afraid of the darkness, though. She wasn't deluding herself in thinking that Mystic Falls was a safe as it's brochures told it was, considering how it was werewolf territory, but that didn't stop her from going out into the cold night anyway. She was a werewolf, a creature of the night. She relished in the howling of animals and the rushing of leaves as she walked across the central park of Mystic Falls. She stared at the Mystic Grill, which was closing up as it already was one in the morning. The children's playground was empty and the elderly couples had retired to their homes, awaiting the next day of the lives that were rapidly passing them by.

There was something utterly morbid about Mystic Falls in the middle of the night, the way there was no other sound but her own breathing and the sounds only her hearing could pick up, like the crushing leaves under her booties, the lights shutting off in the grill and the wind making its way through her hair. I was peaceful, and exactly everything she needed to feel the overwhelming feeling rushing through her of finally after all this time, telling her she was _home_.

* * *

**That was Elena's introduction to the her new life! Hope you liked this chapter, and the random part with the cheerleaders. It wasn't planned, but kind of just flowed out of there. After having writted out that scene completely, I thought, why not, might as well get a couple of outside perspectives in this story, too. As Delena's relationship progresses, you'll get more of those ;)**

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed and favorited this story, I hope you'll keep reading it and hope you liked this update**

**Read and Review!**

**xoxo,**

**Layka**


	5. No Matter What

**Hiya guys! I am so sorry that I have disappeared for so long with this story but lack of inspiration and school have kept me away for so long. Needless to say I had abandoned this story, but I wrote this chapter in one sitting! Hope you guys like it, and please tell me what you think in a review, hope you are still with me!**

**Discl: you know the deal**

* * *

''2300 Years ago, Aristotle wrote down the secret to being a persuasive speaker, the secret which forms the basis for nearly every public speaking book written since then. I want you to remember the Ethos, Pathos, Logos rule when you choose a speech to analyze and deliver to me two weeks from now. You are dismissed.'' Not two seconds later the bell rang, officially signaling the end of Elena´s first week in college.

And she absolutely loved it.

She had gone reluctantly when Monday had rolled around, purely because it felt strange to go to school on another person's money, especially if it was the person you were currently crushing on. Heavily.

At the end of the week, Elena found herself in Caroline's white Escalade SUV, driving back to Mystic Falls. Elena and Caroline had been back every day, but had found themselves swamped with school work from the first day and they had barely made contact with the outside world. Now the first week had past and they found themselves in a comfortable routine, this was their first drive back while relaxed in the plush car seats, also marking it Elena's first time in seeing her new blonde friend in a hoodie. Okay, it was pink velour nonetheless, but it was certainly something else from the skin tight jeans, heels and fitting tops she always seems to be sporting.

About half an hour away from their town, they were singing along loudly to Mariah Carey's 'Touch My Body' while laughing and gossiping when Elena's phone went off. – the third day she had the white refrigerator sized phone, she had realized she absolutely loved the little gadget, but there was no way she was going to admit that to him.

Looking at the caller-ID, Elena smiled to herself. ''This is Elena, I'm not here right now, but—''

''Ha ha, aren't you funny,'' he remarked dryly.

''Always wanted to try that,'' she quipped with a wide grin.

She could just _feel _him smirking and rolling his eyes. ''Alright, kitten, whatever you want. When are you and Blondie back home?''

''Thirty minutes tops, or something. Why?''

''Just 'cause..''

''Damon…''

''Okay, fine, I got you something…''

''Damon!'' she whined loudly.

Damon chuckled nervously. ''I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself! At least think about it when you get home, okay?''

Elena sighed in defeat, already knowing where this was going. ''Is it small?''

''Ahh…depends. It's something you'd like, though, I—uhh, hope…''

''Do I detect nervousness, Mr. Salvatore?'' Elena baited playfully.

Damon scoffed. ''I don't do nervous, kitten, don't worry about that. So, you'll take it?''

''I'll see if I will when I get back…'' Elena started.

''But I already bought it, I can't return it now, so much money would go to waste!'' he argued like a petulant child who wasn't getting the ice cream he wanted after dinner like he was promised.

''Damon! That is _not _going to work with me!''

Damon sighed. ''I am not returning it, Elena, so you might as well take it and put the spent money to use.''

Elena groaned in frustration. This guy just knew the right buttons to push. ''Fine!''

It was silent on the other end for a while as Damon was processing the – in his eyes – quick win.

''Good. See you in a bit.''

''Bye Damon.''

''Bye kitten.''

Elena hung up and sighed at the same time. She had completely forgotten the other occupant in the car, and smiled sheepishly as Caroline had raised a knowing eyebrow.

''Kitten?'' she asked, her voice the perfect combination of exasperation and amusement.

Elena rolled her eyes as she hid her phone back in her leather jacket. ''Apparently I remind him of a kitten because I am feisty and fiery but look like I couldn't hurt a fly,'' she explained, scrunching up her nose in annoyance.

Caroline burst out in laughter and shook her head, to which Elena had to admit defeat for a moment and smile to herself as she shook her head along with Caroline's laughs.

''You two have become awfully close lately…'' she started not-so-subtly.

Elena rolled her eyes. ''So?''

Caroline threw her hands in the air for a few seconds before settling them back on the wheel with her eyes back on the road, the teasing undertone in her voice never wavering. ''I'm just saying, I haven't seen Damon flirt so heavily with any other girl than you ever since you showed up, he's totally different around you…''

''Oh, you mean he usually is not annoying, cocky, snarky and so sarcastic he makes you want to rip your own hair out?'' Elena asked casually with raised eyes, trying not to read more out of Caroline's words.

Caroline rolled her eyes, her lips stretching into a playful smile. ''I didn't mean that. I meant that he doesn't treat you like complete trash or like a sex toy like he does with most of the girls he knows.''

''I'm a pack member, of course he's different with me,'' Elena murmured, her stubborn mind fighting with might and main to not overthink whatever it was that Caroline was implying.

''Oh, come on, 'Lena, you can't tell me you even think of it as strange, how he treats you so well, buys you stuff, offers you a roof over your head which happens to be the same roof he's under, and tries to come up with a nickname for you every freaking day to see which one sticks?!'' she argued vehemently, trying to make her friend see reason.

''He does not do that!'' Elena argued feebly, full well knowing that wasn't true.

Caroline rolled her eyes. ''Really? I haven't heard him call you Kitten before? Yesterday he hadn't called you by your own name once. It was 'Princess' all day! The day before that you were 'Bambi', the day before that he had spent all day calling you 'Cutie'. ''Let's not forget the all-time favorites Beautiful, and Doll. Oh, and I especially liked the time he even had you in his phone as 'Dove'. And lest we forget…''

''Okay, okay, I get it!'' Elena exclaimed with her arms in the air, not wanting to recall that.

Caroline smiled at the way Elena got all riled up and was now sitting in the passenger seat with rosy cheeks, and down cast eyes, the CD with cheesy songs all but forgotten as Juanes continued to serenade them in Spanish about getting his heart broken and wearing a black t-shirt.

''So…'' Caroline started after a few minutes of awkward silence.

''So…'' Elena remarked mockingly with a raised brow.

''Do _you _like him?''

''Caroline!''

''What, it was a legitimate question!'' she shrieked with wide eyes and a small smile.

Elena pouted with crunched brows and crossed her arms, and Caroline saw firsthand why Damon had decided to call her Kitten today.

''Whatever. Let's just drop it, okay?''

''Whatever you want, 'Lena,'' Caroline conceded with a small smile. Damon Salvatore was a first rate jackass when he wanted to be, but with Elena he seemed to be a decent guy, at the most. Besides, Caroline could not help but imagine Damon and Elena as a couple. They'd for sure be cute together.

Delena…hmm, that _did _have its ring to it…

* * *

''Where are we heading to again?'' Elena asked herself, finding she was grumpy when they had gotten back and Damon was nowhere in sight. What the hell was that about?

Caroline herself wasn't off much better, having not seen or talked to her mate for the better part of the day.

''The group is having a barbeque at Ric's and Jenna's, they do it every year around the last sunny days of the year, it's a weird tradition but it kinda stuck with us.'' She explained as she was sifting through her closet.

Elena raised a brow. ''The group?''

Caroline nodded at that. ''The elite, you could say. Damon's closest friends and family. A lot couldn't make it today, though..pity,'' she said more to herself.

''And why am I in that particular group, exactly?'' She asked, her voice muffled underneath a mini skirt that was thrown on top of her, followed by being thrown across the room with a scowl by the brunette currently sitting cross-legged on the blonde's massive bed while switching channels at warp speed.

Caroline rolled her eyes as she stripped down to her underwear and tried on a pink wrap dress. ''Oh, come on, Elena, we both know you are not considered a stranger or a newbie by any of us.''

Elena shook her head at Caroline about her dress choise, to which the blonde yanked the dress off over her head and strutted over to the closet, still in her Louboutins and lace underwear.

''What about this one?'' Elena suggested meekly as she held up the indigo jean leggings and Peace-sign t-shirt for Caroline to see.

Caroline scowled. ''I don't think you know me that well if—''

''And you keep forgetting I had a life before all of this! I used to live for this! Just trust me and put it on!'' Elena argued.

''But—''

''Put it on, Care.''

Eventually it was the use of the new nickname that made Caroline stand in front of her in jeans and a t-shirt for the first time in her life.

''And how do you plan to salvage this disaster?''

''Hey! I walk around in jeans and t-shirt all the time!'' Elena argued with a big grin.

''That doesn't matter! That actually looks good on you! Unlike you I have a reputation to uphold with this kind of thing.''

''You have a routine of looking fabulous, Caroline. That has nothing to do with what you wear. It's all about _how _you wear it.'' It was safe to say the blonde was positively beaming at her after her short monologue.

''Now, will you let me work on you in peace?''

''Only if you let me work on you in exchange.''

''You got yourself a deal, Missy.''

A little over twenty minutes after that, Caroline looked at herself in the mirror with a huge grin on her face. A beige leather waterfall jacket was now covering her previously uncovered arms, a pair of killer heeled boots ending just below her knees. Two diamond hoop earrings hung from her small ears, the radiant cut diamond eternity ring Klaus had given her for her last birthday resting on their rightful place on her middle finger and a cute filigree bow necklace rested on the bronze peace sign on her t-shirt. Her blonde hair had been piled on top of her head in a neat ballerina bun, kept together by a braid, made from locks of her own hair, her lips painted an enticing pink color and her eyes a playful blue, she could honestly admit nobody had ever dressed her up as well as now.

''I look amazing! You _have _to come shopping with me again one of these days, we'll go crazy!''

Elena smiled softly. ''I loved to dress other people up when I was with my old pack. Was a guilty pleasure of mine back then. Still is, apparently,'' she appraised softly as she looked over her handy work. She really had outdone herself, for some reason she had made sure Caroline was all dolled up while still looking decent enough for a friendly barbeque.

Caroline smiled softly in understanding. ''Well, you are absolutely fabulous at it. Is this what you wanted to do as a kid?'' she asked softly as she sat Elena down on the chair to work on her make-up.

Elena shook her head. ''I had always wanted to be a writer.''

''Journalist?''

''Novelist.''

''Wow, that's amazing! I bet you'd be great at it. Do you write your own stories?''

''I used to do that a lot, but after the…accident, I was forced to let it go and I just wrote in my journal. Eventually that had gotten lost in another accident I had been in a few years back and I fled, unable to go back and find it. I haven't touched a pen in three years. Until last Monday, of course.''

Caroline nodded with a mischievous smile on her face, dashing into the closet so she could hide her smile from Elena. The girl was perceptive and was sure to think Caroline would be up to something.

''Your turn!''

It wasn't long until also Elena had been transformed into what Caroline had dubbed 'Fashion Model Casual'. Elena looked at herself with a smile, admitting she liked the way she looked. Caroline had managed to make her look amazing while not making it seem as if she were trying too hard in her plain white vest top with belted grey vest over it, leaving her arms bare. Her legs were encased in a pair of forest green skinny jeans and black flats. Her look was finished by golden bangles dangling from one wrist, and a pair of black feather earrings hanging from her earlobes. Her hair had been swept to one side, falling over her shoulder in tame waves, and her make-up was slightly more dark and sultry than Caroline, her nails were a dark red, almost brown.

''Wow. I like it,'' Elena said with a beaming smile on her nude colored lips.

Caroline clapped excitedly. ''This might just be one of my favorite creations. Your looks are to kill for, honey, you're gorgeous!''

Elena winked playfully to avoid answering her statement, and grabbed her bag before turning to her friend. ''So, what was that other thing you wanted to show me?'' she asked casually, trying not to blow up and show her curiosity.

Elena raised a single brow when all of a sudden she made a complete one-eighty and she looked down at the ground and started playing with her ring out of embarrasement.

''Caroline…'' Elena started, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

''I..uhh…do you promise not to get mad?''

Elena's eyebrows dipped. ''Why would I be mad?''

Caroline sighed and decided to just rip out the band aid in one tug. ''Your present is waiting outside the house. Damon wanted me to show you because he didn't want to lose any of the family jewels if he showed you himself..''

Elena scoffed but let herself be dragged off outside the mansion by Caroline anyway.

''Why would I do that?'' she asked dryly, not even bothering to deny that she would do something like that had he pissed her off that badly.

''Surprise,'' Caroline said weakly, letting go of Elena and stepped back.

She didn't know what emotion she had been feeling at first, whether it be surprise, shock, anger, frustration, agitation, some more anger and some more exasperation on top of that.

''He…He…He bought me a car?!'' she exploded.

On the driveway of the Salvatore Mansion, among Caroline's escalade, the limousine, Damon's black Audi R8, Stefan's classic cherry red Porsche and Katherine's Vanquish, rested a polar white Mercedes Benz E350 Sport – most definitely the newest model out there – , proudly waiting for a fuming Elena to walk up to it and snatch the small card from the wipers.

_Every princess needs her own ride._

_D._

_p.s. No, this is not returning. You use it, or it stays in the garage to rot. So much money going to waist in the process… _

She let the letter fall to the ground and stared at the car.

Why did it have to be so pretty!

''Do you like it?'' a voice came from behind her.

Elena only nodded, not knowing how to respond.

''Are you angry with him? I'm sure—''

''Why does he spend so much money on me?'' Elena asked softly.

Caroline's eyebrows shot up, not expecting this reaction from the hot headed brunette.

After a few silent moments she walked up next to Elena and they stared at the car, both knowing this must have set him back a few numbers. ''He likes you, Elena, I just don't think he realizes that yet himself.''

''I can't be with him, Care. You know the mating rule, it would be unfair to be with anyone else but them.''

''Have you ever thought of the possi—''

''No.''

''But, Elena—''

''I don't want to think about it,'' Elena said resolutely, pushing the thought out of her head.

Caroline had cocked her head to the side in question, but sighed in defeat when Elena wouldn't budge. ''Fine, but do you at least want to find out how this baby drives?''

Elena sighed and smiled, thinking she would leave her hissy fit for when she saw him. In the meantime, she was going to enjoy this baby indeed.

* * *

Eventually they reached the American Foursquare house – much more like the rest of Mystic Falls. It was strange to already be used to the massive Salvatore Mansion, but refreshing to be around some American normalcy for a change, around houses that didn't have fully stocked libraries or drawing room. Elena cut off the engine and they both stepped out of the car. – god, that car really was beautiful. Damn it!

Elena smiled at the blue-bricked house as they stepped onto the porch and Caroline knocked on the door. A beaming Jenna opened up, looking equally as amazing as her friends. It seemed this town lived on the line 'Dress To Impress'. Jenna was donned in a cream colored oversized lace top with three-quarter sleeves, a pair of white low rise jeans, exchanging her signature crème colored heels for a pair of off-white flats. She had a happy glow to her they hadn't witnessed on her before, and her cheeks were naturally rosy. Her honey blonde, almost red hair was also glowing, resting loosely on her shoulders, her engagement ring shining proudly against the early September sun.

''Don't you look pretty, Jen,'' Caroline purred playfully.

Jenna laughed and looked Caroline up and down before hugging her.

''Lena, I'm so glad you're here, you look amazing!'' Jenna enthused, appreciating her new friend's looks before hugging her, too.

Elena automatically smiled at her enthusiasm. Of course it didn't rival Caroline's, but it had something motherly, something soothing, even if she was barely a few years older than the rest of the girls.

''Hey, Jenna. It there something different about you or is just the massive ring you're sporting?'' Elena asked casually, to which Caroline starts squealing enthusiastically.

Much gushing, girly squealing and hugging followed afterward.

''I take it you couldn't hold off on telling them?'' Ric bellowed as he came up from the kitchen, tea towel still resting proudly on his shoulder before he sauntered off to them and threw and arm around his fiancée's shoulders and kissed the side of her head affectionately.

Jenna laughed. ''I didn't say anything, Ric, Miss Gilbert over here is just too perceptive for her own good and ruined it!''

Elena put her hand to her heart in mock hurt. ''I would never!'' she gasped in mock surprise before they both burst out in laughter.

''Well, Elena, welcome to our home. The rest is in the yard if you want to go say hi,'' he said.

Elena smiled at them, taking the hint as she noticed the way Ric affectionately squeezed Jenna's hip, and got out of there.

Of course, in typical Elena fashion, she had strayed away from the backyard and found herself in a hall full of pictures of the people inhibiting the house. Damon, Stefan, Klaus, Ric and she recognized Tyler, Elijah, Matt and Kol all leaning against a bar with beers in hand. Ric and Jenna in swimwear at a beach. Ric and Damon arm wrestling. Jenna, Katherine and Caroline laying on a beach in their bikinis. The Salvatore Brothers and Ric in the middle of a game of pool. It tugged at Elena's heart. These people were clearly a tight knit group, and she couldn't help but feel nervous and feel like she was intruding. Why would they ever decide to invite her?

''They all like you, you know. They all want you here just as much as I do.''

Elena twirled around on her heels, taking in her alpha in all his dark jeans and black button-up glory, his hair as perfectly messy as ever and his eyes still as impossibly blue as they had been for the past few days.

She hadn't missed the way he looked her up and down and smiled lazily, one corning of his mouth turning up enticingly.

He stepped closer to her, and an internal battle was waging wars inside of her. _To stop breathing or not to stop breathing, that is most definitely the question._

''How would you know that?'' she asked slowly, cursing herself for sounding so breathless.

His lazy grin never wavered as he lifted a hand and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and looked her in the eyes. ''Because you're an amazing girl, Elena, and anyone would kill to have as part of their lives.''

''Are you speaking for them?'' she asked quietly, and he nodded slowly. ''Among other things,'' he stated vaguely.

They were quiet for a while, their breaths mingling and their gazed never wavering. Blue against brown, both fiery and passionate, not willing to be the first to let go.

''We should probably go back,'' she suggested, ever so quietly, her doe eyes wide and blazing.

He only nodded at her, his gaze quickly dropping to her lips before he forced them back to her eyes. ''Don't ever doubt that you belong here, Elena. Ever.''

Once again Elena could only nod at him, and she hadn't even realized her cheek had gotten burning hot, although not because of the heat his body was radiating – that was already consuming on itself – but that it was because of the hand he was resting on her jaw, and the thumb that was skimming her soft cheek.

''Elena, get your butt in the backyard, they are about to serve the meat! And where the hell is Damon? Someone try to find his damn ass!'' Caroline yelled out from outside of the hall, and as if they were two scared animals, they both jumped back, shuffling a few feet away from each other to catch their breath and trying to pretend the electric charge buzzing around the room hadn't been there, as if it still wasn't there.

Elena looked at Damon for a moment before smiling at him warmly, and she walked away from him, out into the yard.

* * *

''You promised not to tell that story!'' Ric whined petulantly as he slung his arm sloppily around in the air. For some reason they had found themselves with a few bottles of tequila in the living room, all occupying a part of the room. Ric and Jenna took the smaller couch with his head resting on her lap. Katherine sat perched on Stefan's lap, who was sitting in the arm chair. Caroline and Klaus had settled themselves on the floor with Klaus leaning against the couch with his girlfriend's legs slung over his. Surprising to nobody but them, Damon and Elena had found themselves on the biggest couch of the room with the brunette tucked underneath his arm, curled into his side.

''Oh, come on, you know you want to tell this story!'' Damon chuckled.

Ric rolled his eyes, and slung his fist at his friend, not making an effort to take his head away from its comfortable position.

''What exactly was this 'most awkward moment of his life' you guys are talking about?'' Jenna asked, eyebrows raised in amusement.

Klaus chortled loudly. ''The poor man thinks he is God when he has drunk too much, I swear! We were at a bar with all the boys and Ric was being hit on by this massive man, arms fully tatted, even his balled head had ink on it, it was horrifying!'' Klaus was laughing too loudly to even try and complete his story, so Damon continued, much calmer, but his eyes were shining in amusement and mirth.

''Poor Ricky was grinding against the biker guy at the end of the night and would have gone home with him if it wasn't for the guy's boyfriend not coming up to him and threatening his life.''

''Then Ric is the idiot to start screaming 'I am a wolf, you can't harm me because I will rip you to shreds before you could even scream 'lube'! Let's just say that Ricky was a little too drunk to do something about the black eye he would be sporting the next day.''

By now everybody was laughing, but Damon had been tuning out halfway through the story. All he could hear, feel, was the body tucked into his side, vibrating with laughter. Her eyes were shining, and she was looking absolutely delectable in the outfit she was wearing. He had been surprised to say the least when she had invited herself over to sit with him on the couch, and he knew she was a little more than buzzed, and had claimed his chest as a pillow. Delighted and amused, Damon slung an arm over her shoulder, daring to pull her closer to him. Yes, he could definitely find myself getting used to this, he thought contentedly.

''More shots!'' Caroline yelled out of the blue, jumping off the floor to grab another bottle of tequila out of thin air, it seemed.

Damon frowned concernedly when Elena nodded enthusiastically. Would it be smart if she had more to drink? She seemed to be a shot away from hammered. The moment he had received a knowing glance from Ric, though, he shook himself out of it and waved the 'ok'.

''How about a little game of 'Never Have I Ever'?' Jenna suggested with a grin, and it wasn't long before everyone was perched on the floor in a circle, the bottle of tequila in the middle and everyone was presented with their own shot glass.

''Okay, I'll start. Never have I ever…had sex in car,'' Jenna said thoughtfully, making everybody else laugh when she turned to Ric with a scowl.

Everybody drank a shot, and Damon smirked lewdly when he caught Elena's gaze. Maybe this game wasn't so bad after all.

Okay, so they went clockwise. ''Never have I ever…smoked weed.''

Klaus, Damon, Caroline, Katherine and Elena drank a shot.

''Elena Gilbert, drugs?'' Klaus asked playfully.

Elena rolled her eyes and shoved at him playfully. ''Teenagers experiment, you loser.''

''Never have I ever been arrested,'' Caroline slurred, taking a shot anyway.

Once again, Klaus, Damon, Katherine and Elena took a shot.

''Elena!'' Jenna exclaimed laughing.

''Let's just say I went through a bit of a phase when I was sixteen.''

Yes. Everybody eventually left it at that.

They kept on playing into the better part of the night, and it had been an enlightening evening, to have said the least. They all deduced that Damon and Klaus had the most extended sex lives and were the most experienced, but they had also found out that the girls were far less innocent than any of them had thought. Elena had been an enigma through the night. She had done pretty much everything that was there to do, but hadn't had more than five bed partners. She had tried all kinds of alcohol but it wasn't usual for her to get drunk. She knew all kinds of stuff about the dirtiest subjects but still blushed every time he looked at her. Once again he thanked his ever present companion alcohol for the enlightening evening and enjoyed the buzz he was feeling as everyone set off the go back to their own homes.

''I'm still mad at you for buying me that car you know,'' Elena murmured when it was just the two of them. Caroline had bailed on her to go back to her place with Klaus but neither could have complained for being left behind.

Damon smirked. ''Why would you be mad at me for buying you a car?''

''How much did it cost you?''

He didn't say anything, and Elena scoffed. ''Exactly. Ugh, you're lucky I'm too drunk to get on your case right now.''

''What about tomorrow?'' he asked playfully as he opened the door for her to her new car.

Elena rolled her eyes in defeat. ''We'll see how bad my headache will be in the morning. Now scat, I'll see you in a bit.'' And off she went.

* * *

Back at the Mansion, Elena exchanged her clothes for black velour shorts and a pink tank top, combing her hair until it was straight again and tied it up in a ponytail.

Of course she could not go to sleep without interruptions.

''Door is open,'' she called as she crawled out of bed.

''Elena, are you awake?'' someone whispered.

Elena sighed and smiled involuntarily at the sound of his voice. ''I am now.''

He had the decency to look sheepish when he stood in her room and rubbed the back of his neck. ''You look better now.''

Elena nodded, noting the awkwardness surrounding them. ''I had something to eat, and, yeah…'' she said, gesturing to the pre-prepared Gatorade on her nightstand.

Damon chuckled nervously at her, but still didn't dare to say anything, which made Elena sigh in annoyance. ''Was there anything you wanted, Damon?''

''I was actually wondering if you had plans tomorrow night?''

Elena looked up at him in shock. ''Wh—what?''

''You heard me.''

''I..I…Sure…I mean, no, I don't have any plans, I'd like to go out with you,'' she stuttered her way through, wanting to face palm at her moment of stupidity.

Damon didn't take notice of it, though. No snarky remark or sexy smirk. Just a beaming grin and a nod. ''Okay. Make sure you are ready at seven. I'll take you out then.''

Elena nodded, too nervous to say anything else, afraid of what might come out of her mouth.

Damon nodded, knowing this wasn't going to go anywhere that night and turned around as he made his way out of the room.

Elena sighed in relief, not sure if she could last any longer with that tension without exploding. She was glad he was leaving her room now before she'd do something she'd regret.

Or he wouldn't, you know, and she would. Like now.

One moment, she was pulling the covers back thinking he had already left, and the other moment she was in his arms with her lips being crushed against his. The dizziness that overcame her together with the surprise had her frozen in his embrace for a moment, feeling the soft texture of his lips mold against hers, before she came to life and clawed at him with her hands as she opened her mouth in a loud gasp and he took the opportunity to slip in his tongue in, starting a battle of wills neither were willing to back away from. One moment her hands were in his hair, sliding across his chest and resting on his hips and going back, all the while trying to take little breaths of air during the microseconds he separated their lips, his hands leaving a trail of fire in their wake, setting her whole body on fire and they only tried to get closer, to claw to each other's skin, reveling in the heat of the moment.

All too soon it was over and they broke apart, both standing their breathless and unmoving, both wondering if that just really had happened.

* * *

**Progress, yes! Once again I am so sorry for the long wait and hope you will review and tell me what you think. In my opinion the barbeque was a little too short but I wanted to update and I will make the date next chapter extra long just to make up for it. :)**

**xoxo,**

**Layla**

**(Btw, the title comes from Papa Roach - No Matter What, which has been on repeat for me during the better part of the day)**


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